Environmental control activities have given rise to the need, particularly in connection with passenger-carrying vehicles, to provide for discharge only of pathogenically harmless toilet wastes from such vehicles. This is particularly true in the case of railway cars passing through relatively closely spaced built-up areas. Accordingly, the need for inexpensive thorough conditioning of such waste compositions is strongly felt.
Heretofore, devices have been produced in an effort to achieve these desired ends. While some of these have depended upon electrolytic treatment of the sewage composition, the devices themselves have either involved large-volume continuous flow installations or smaller complicated batch processors, characterized by moving parts which require maintenance, which are difficult to clean and repair, and which lessen reliability. (See U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,188 for an example of a prior art device relying on a mechanical skimmer.)
The present invention provides a very simple inexpensive apparatus readily adapted for use, especially in railroad cars. The apparatus is capable of operation without any moving parts, is easy to maintain, and reliable in its operation.
The effluent which is discharged from the apparatus and produced in accordance with the method of the present invention is sterile and inoffensive and may be discharged along a trackway even in built-up areas without encountering difficulties previously experienced.